An
advocate for alternatives to traditional public schooling,
DeVos championed charter schools and school voucher initiatives
in her home state of Michigan, where she served as chairwoman of
the Michigan Republican Party. She has been one of Trump's most
controversial Cabinet picks.

Democrats have argued that she is unqualified to be secretary of
education, a position they doubled down on after a contentious
confirmation hearing in which DeVos was
grilled on several issues and often demurred on answers or
said she was currently unable to provide a response.

About 250 education and civil-rights groups
signed a letter opposing her nomination.